Posts Tagged ‘New York Toyota owner concessions’

Toyota Sales head Bob Carter fielding questions at the 2010 Prius introduction before it was recalled for defective brakes. Carter has no quality or recall authority.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. (TMS) today announced that it is expanding its Product Quality Field Office program to four additional U.S. regional sales areas, following what it calls the success of a pilot program launched in the New York region in late 2009.

Toyota is also slowing down its product development system in Japan, once noted for its for speed.

It was the New York Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo, who first extracted additional services last winter for New York Toyota and Lexus customers – more than 500,000 of them – who were affected by Toyota’s growing number of safety recalls. So having a New York quality office is a good idea.

TMS will open its next Product Quality Field Office in San Francisco this month, and an additional three offices across the U.S. during the next 12 months. Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) announced that it will establish Product Quality Field Offices in Toronto and Calgary, which means that seven offices will be located in North America.

Analysis!

Toyota is also extending the time it takes to introduce new vehicles by a month for more quality checks, a top executive said Wednesday to a group of junketing American journalists in Japan.

Executive Vice President Takeshi Uchiyamada said the company needs to slow the pace of its product development system. The Detroit Bureau was not invited to attend the Toyota paid event, perhaps because of our ongoing coverage of Toyota safety and quality issues, including the breaking news story about defective Prius brakes. (See NHTSA Tracking Braking Loss on Prius Hybrids) It was not immediately clear what the small amount of additional time would provide given the complexity of Toyota’s recall issues, which encompass design, manufacturing, supplier parts and electronic calibration issues.

"We must communicate faster, better and more effectively with our customers and our regulators."

Yoshimi Inaba, President And COO, Toyota Motor North America (TMA) and chairman and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales in the U.S. appeared to promise that owner concessions announced by the New York State attorney general this morning would be extended nationwide.

The affirmation came as Akio Toyoda, the grandson of the company’s founder, sat beside him as both were testifying to a Congressional Committee on Oversight and Government Reform this afternoon.

Andrew Cuomo, the attorney general in New York announced this morning that Toyota and Lexus owners in New York covered by current recalls covering sticking accelerator pedals, floor mat pedal “entrapment,” anti-lock brake system software updates, and Tacoma front drive shaft inspections will be offered the following:

Expediting scheduling of the repair(s).

Pick up and return of the vehicle by a dealership representative.

Driving the customer to the dealership or to his or her place of work

Where necessary, providing other alternate transportation for the customer, such as a rental car, loaner vehicle, or taxi reimbursement for the reasonable period that the customer is unable or unwilling to use his or her car.

These services will be provided by Toyota through the dealers at no cost to either the owners of affected vehicles or the dealer.

"It is unacceptable that New York consumers should face additional burdens when dealing with a safety problem that is Toyota’s responsibility.”

Andrew Cuomo, attorney general of New York State, has just announced that Toyota has agreed to provide additional services for New York Toyota and Lexus customers who are affected by Toyota’s recent recalls.

“It is unacceptable that New York consumers should face additional burdens when dealing with a safety problem that is Toyota’s responsibility,” Cuomo said in a statement.

“The agreement we have obtained from Toyota will help ease the fears of Toyota owners and protect their families at no cost to them.”

The recalls at issue affect more than 500,000 Toyota and Lexis vehicles in New York.

The concessions will clearly put pressure on other attorneys general to institute similar procedures.

It appears likely in my view that Akio Toyoda will announce a national program along similar lines during his testimony this afternoon in front of a House Oversight Committee.

Where necessary, providing other alternate transportation for the customer, such as a rental car, loaner vehicle, or taxi reimbursement for the reasonable period that the customer is unable or unwilling to use his or her car.

These services will be provided by Toyota through the dealers at no cost to either the owners of affected vehicles or the dealer. (more…)